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Lyric Poem · Nature

It will be Summer—eventually

by Emily Dickinson

1It will be Summer — eventually.

2Ladies — with parasols —

3Sauntering Gentlemen — with Canes —

4And little Girls — with Dolls —

5Will tint the pallid landscape —

6As 'twere a bright Bouquet —

7Thro' drifted deep, in Parian —

8The Village lies — today —

9The Lilacs — bending many a year —

10Will sway with purple load —

11The Bees — will not despise the tune —

12Their Forefathers — have hummed —

13The Wild Rose — redden in the Bog —

14The Aster — on the Hill

15Her everlasting fashion — set —

16And Covenant Gentians — frill —

17Till Summer folds her miracle —

18As Women — do — their Gown —

19Of Priests — adjust the Symbols —

20When Sacrament — is done —

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

Quick facts

Poem
It will be Summer—eventually
Poet
Emily Dickinson
Length
20 lines
Form
Lyric Poem
Themes
Nature, Summer

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape
20 lines · 5 quatrains
Line length
Lines run 6-8 syllables (median 7). No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.
The poem’s silhouette — approximate syllables per line, measured from the text above. Even bars mean a measured line; ragged bars mean the poem sets its own widths.

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record
Emily Dickinson1830–1886
Source record
PoetryDBIt will be Summer—eventually by emily-dickinson, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision
Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record
Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint
SHA-256 071099765f9f7a87
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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